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msripley's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
rebeccazh's review against another edition
4.0
sharon shinn is back at it with another series with a very intriguing set-up. i devoured this trilogy and the first-person narration works really well.
rebeccazh's review
4.0
sharon shinn is back at it with another series with a very intriguing set-up. i devoured this trilogy and the first-person narration works really well.
chickenafraido's review against another edition
4.0
Started off a little slow, but ramped up to a very interesting middle section wherein I really enjoyed the characters. The banter between Brianna and Nico was very fun and there seemed to be a lot of believable chemistry there. Brianna herself was brave and self-assured, with a commendable dedication to loyalty. She had a strong sense of justice and clearly cared very deeply for those she loved.
Unfortunately, this characterization is also why i disliked the climax of the story, as I felt it didn't do proper justice to the characters we'd spent all this time getting to know. Everything fell apart, as we knew it had to at some point, yet all these strong characters also seemed to crumble. It went against what I had come to expect from them, and it diminished my enjoyment by quite a bit. We saw things pick back up again by the very end, but there was a bit too much wallowing in the meantime for my taste.
Still, this was an interesting and unique world, and I'm eager to see what else Shinn does with it. I only hope we get to see a bit more of Nico and Brianna's story.
Unfortunately, this characterization is also why i disliked the climax of the story, as I felt it didn't do proper justice to the characters we'd spent all this time getting to know. Everything fell apart, as we knew it had to at some point, yet all these strong characters also seemed to crumble. It went against what I had come to expect from them, and it diminished my enjoyment by quite a bit. We saw things pick back up again by the very end, but there was a bit too much wallowing in the meantime for my taste.
Still, this was an interesting and unique world, and I'm eager to see what else Shinn does with it. I only hope we get to see a bit more of Nico and Brianna's story.
rebeccazh's review against another edition
4.0
sharon shinn is back at it with another series with a very intriguing set-up. i devoured this trilogy and the first-person narration works really well.
tyrshand's review against another edition
5.0
Well this one has quite an interesting set up. The novel starts off rather gently, sort of straddling the line between YA and adult, as we follow Brianna from her loving childhood to her dream job as a lady's maid for an absolutely lovely noblewoman. She's clever and spunky and, despite lacking the training expected of someone in her position, her natural talents make up for it all. She's such an enjoyable character that it's quite a nice ride. The only huge fantasy element are these "Echoes" or "Shadows" that the noble folk have -- copies of themselves that mimic their actions, thought to be divinely given.
Then, when you're nice and comfortable in the story, caught up in the everyday intrigues of their lives, it seems that the plot is going to head into [b:The Selection|10507293|The Selection (The Selection, #1)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1322103400s/10507293.jpg|15413183] territory. Luckily, this turns out not to be much the case, though the events that send the plot down a different path... wow. We end up more in a cat and mouse kind of tale. All kinds of crises of trust and betrayal and horribly nervous about the end... There are even some heart wrenching spots. I might have only been able to make it to the end because I was sure things had to work out in a Sharon Shinn tale... But there were definitely more surprises in store for me.
I love that Lady Marguerite's Echoes somehow became real characters despite never speaking and having so little autonomy. You really come to care for them as individuals through their quirks and minor differences.
As for the land itself... Well, with the behaviour of certain royals, I'm hoping a big shake-up is coming. Trying not to get into spoilers, so all I'll say is that I harshly judge some of the characters by the company they keep and see them as rather villainous.
Then, when you're nice and comfortable in the story, caught up in the everyday intrigues of their lives, it seems that the plot is going to head into [b:The Selection|10507293|The Selection (The Selection, #1)|Kiera Cass|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1322103400s/10507293.jpg|15413183] territory. Luckily, this turns out not to be much the case, though the events that send the plot down a different path... wow. We end up more in a cat and mouse kind of tale. All kinds of crises of trust and betrayal and horribly nervous about the end... There are even some heart wrenching spots. I might have only been able to make it to the end because I was sure things had to work out in a Sharon Shinn tale... But there were definitely more surprises in store for me.
I love that Lady Marguerite's Echoes somehow became real characters despite never speaking and having so little autonomy. You really come to care for them as individuals through their quirks and minor differences.
As for the land itself... Well, with the behaviour of certain royals, I'm hoping a big shake-up is coming. Trying not to get into spoilers, so all I'll say is that I harshly judge some of the characters by the company they keep and see them as rather villainous.